 | Monfils meets Nadal, Tsonga faces Federer in semifinals DOHA IF befitting for the 20th anniversary of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, all the four top seeds, led by No 1 Rafael Nadal, qualified for the last four stages at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on Thursday.
...
|
|
| | Selfless Clarke puts win ahead of glory | | SYDNEY TRIPLE centurion Michael Clarke put team interests ahead of personal glory as Australia moved towards a crushing win over India in the second Test in Sydney on Thursday.
Captain Clarke, unbeaten on 329, declared Australia's first innings closed at 659 for four to press for victory despite various individual milestones beckoning.
After building a massive 468-run lead, Clarke called a halt to the onslaught to give his attack seven and a half sessions to bowl India out.He was rewarded with the key wickets of Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid as the tourists dug in to save going 2-0 down in the four-Test series.India, who have never won a Test series in Australia, reached third day stumps at 114 for two, 354 behind, with Gautam Gambhir on 68 and Sachin Tendulkar eight.The tourists had an early stumble when big-hitter Sehwag was brilliantly plucked from the air by the athletic David Warner at point off Ben Hilfenhaus for four.
... |
| | Bayern Munich batters Al Sailiya 13-0 | | DOHA GERMAN Bundesliga Champion Bayern Munich pummeled Qatar Stars League second division club Al Sailiya 13-0 in its first friendly match of 2012 at the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence in Doha on Thursday.
The Bayern team was in full command with the return of star midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger after his lay-off due to a collarbone injury restricting him to two months of competitive football. Arjen Robben, Mario Gomez and Thomas Müller scored before half time, Ivica Olic scored an incredible five, Nils Petersen and Franck Ribéry claimed a brace apiece, and Diego Contento scored another in a one-sided second half.
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heyneckes started a strong eleven for the warm up match ahead of the restart of the Bundesliga fixture away to Borussia Mönchengladbach on January 20. Manuel Neuer was in goal behind a back four of Jérôme Boateng, Daniel van Buyten, Holger Badstuber and Philipp Lahm. In the midfield, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk collaborated Schweinsteiger, Robben, Müller, Toni Kroos and Gomez took up the attacking positions.
... |
| | Madrid rallies to edge Malaga in Copa del Rey | | MADRID DEFENDING champion Real Madrid staged a second-half fightback to beat Malaga 3-2 on Tuesday in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round-of- 16 match.
Sergio Sanchez and Martin Demichelis gave visitors Malaga a surprise early lead with almost identical headers inside the first half-hour but Sami Khedira got Madrid's comeback started with a goal in the 68th minute and Gonzalo Higuain hauled Madrid level two minutes later.
After relentless pressure, Karim Benzema slid home the winner in the 78th.
"The team didn't start the game as it should have," said Madrid coach Jose Mourinho. "The second half was completely the opposite.
The team wanted to clean out the trash it had made in the first half. The attitude, the concentration of the team changed." Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini, Mourinho's predecessor at Madrid, was disappointed at his side's collapse.
"Giving goals away to Madrid on their own pitch makes it very difficult," he said. "The tie is still open, but we deserved more." Madrid could meet archrival Barcelona in the quarterfinals if both teams win their last 16 ties. Barcelona plays its first leg at home to Osasuna.
... |
|
|
|
|
